Gift book ideas for kids and adults — The Octonauts

Because my daughter has a freakish appetite for books, I’m always on the lookout for stories that will enchant her and not bore me to

death — because I know if she latches on to a certain title, it’s

all we’ll read for hours or even days at a time. And now that she’s

capable of imitating what she reads — dumping milk on the kitchen

floor a la Carl the Dog or tickling strangers on the bus (thanks

Elmo!) — I’m also on the lookout for titles that won’t require too

much house cleaning or uncomfortable talks about the “private areas”

of fellow passengers.

The Octonauts to the rescue.

While looking for Christmas gifts last week, I was excited to see a book from a San Francisco independent publisher on the store shelves.

It looks like it’s a year old now, but “The Octonauts: And the Only Lonely Monster” has become a new favorite here. The story follows the path of the adorable, underwater Octonauts who come under attack from a sad, lonely monster and later help the creature find others like it under the sea. A smarter person would say there’s a perfect allegory buried beneath the pages — something about how bullies have fears like everyone else and how wonderful it is to be unique. But I always find myself just getting lost in the illustrations by team Meomi — made up of illustrators Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy.

Emmeline loves to point our Captain Barnacle’s pink headband, while I silently laugh at what can only be described as the lead singer of an underwater bear version of Wham. It’s great to find a book that appeals to both kids and adults — even if the appeal is for different reasons. All of the creatures, from the polar bear captain to the lieutenant cat, have a great Japanese anime look combined with something akin to the ultra-crafty Molly Chicken. In other words, these are the best. children’s book. animals. ever. I can’t get enough of them, and neither can Emme.

To be honest, the writing is a little clunky in parts and you may

find yourself groaning while reading what appears to be a narrative

built on “and then and then and then” — but the drawings more than

make up for it, especially when the Octonauts travel to the corners

of the world and discover everything from sea dragons to elephant

taxis. I can read this book for hours — and have.

The sequel — “The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade” just came out last month, and Emme is just as excited about that one. I’d definitely put them high on the list of gift book ideas — and I’d love to hear any other recommendations out there, preferably something perfect for